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Neither News International or Mr Mulcaire's solicitor Sarah Webb, of Payne Hicks Beach, would give any further details about the nature of the action.

The newspaper, which was shut down last month, is also facing new claims that knowledge of phone hacking was much wider than previously thought.

A letter written by the News of the World’s former royal editor Clive Goodman alleged that other colleagues were involved in phone hacking and that it was widely discussed in editorial conference - until reference to it was banned by then editor Andy Coulson.

Desborough's arrest comes a day after allegations
of misconduct against former Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Paul
Stephenson and his top officer John Yates were dismissed by the Independent Police Complaints
Commission.

Fresh arrest: James Desborough became the 13th person to be held when he was arrested today. The News of the World has been shutdown by parent company News International

ASH AND CHAPMAN SETTLE HACK CLAIM

Celebrity couple Leslie Ash and Lee Chapman (pictured) have settled their phone hacking claim against the News of the World - and now plan to take action against other newspapers.

The actress and the former footballer sued the now-closed Sunday tabloid over fears that it illegally listened to their voicemails while Ash was recovering from a superbug in hospital in 2004.

The couple said they were 'pleased' the claims they and their sons brought against the paper's publishers, News Group Newspapers, and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire had been settled.

But they added that they believe phone hacking also went on at other media organisations and intend to bring claims against other papers.

They said in a statement: 'We are pleased to say that our and our sons' claims against News Group Newspapers (NGN) Limited and Mr Mulcaire have been resolved.

'NGN has agreed to pay our family an appropriate sum by way of compensation and costs and it has apologised for the harm and distress it has caused us.

The couple revealed in January that police investigating phone hacking at the News of the World had found documents listing their names, addresses and phone numbers as well as the mobile details of their children.

They said they feared highly personal voicemails left by their sons were intercepted while former Men Behaving Badly star Ash was recovering at home after contracting the MSSA infection, a strain of the superbug MRSA, in hospital in 2004.

News International declined to comment.

Sir Paul and Mr Yates launched a furious broadside at the
police watchdog last night as they were cleared of misconduct.

Both men quit over the furore
surrounding the force’s hiring of hacking suspect Neil Wallis – a former
News of the World deputy editor – as a PR consultant and Sir Paul’s
£12,000 freebie at a luxury health spa promoted by Mr Wallis, who was
arrested in July over alleged phone hacking.

Separately, reporters at the News of the World have been accused in a Daily Mirror report of offering to pay a New York police officer for private phone records of some victims of the 2001 attacks.

Phone hacking suspect Desborough is the 13th person to be arrested as a result of the investigation Operation Weeting.

Desborough was being questioned on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said the suspect remains in custody over allegations of intercepting voicemails.

The
reporter has been based in Los Angeles since April 2009 - a month after
he was named the showbusiness reporter of the year at the British Press
Awards.

Desborough had
been with the paper since 2005 and broke a story that Fern Britton's
weight loss was down to having a gastric band operation rather than
simply dieting.

He is among journalists in the midst of a
90-day consultation period following News International's decision to
kill off the paper in the wake of the scandal.

A statement from News International said: 'We are fully cooperating with
the police investigation and we are unable to comment further on
matters due to the ongoing police investigation.'

A series of high-profile figures have
been arrested, including former News International chief executive
Rebekah Brooks and ex-Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson.

The scandal has already caused the
closure of the News of the World after 168 years and the resignation of
Sir Paul and assistant commissioner John Yates.

Rupert Murdoch has said there is nothing to suggest that phones have been hacked by News Corp employees in the U.S.

'Smoking gun' phone hack letter was 'not redacted' by police

A key letter in the phone hacking investigation which had sections redacted was not altered by police, it can be revealed.

News International has been accused of trying to cover up claims that knowledge of phone-hacking was widespread at the paper.

The bombshell Clive Goodman letter which alleged that other colleagues were involved in phone
hacking had significant sections redacted before it was given to a parliamentary committee.

Spot the difference: The above letter was supplied to MPs by law firm Harbottle and Lewis and shows five numbered paragraphs with only the names of journalists blacked out. But below is the same letter, this time submitted by News International, showing that paragraphs three and four are missing completely. These excerpts refer to claims Goodman was employed despite saying he was guilty of hacking and later while in prison. Allegations that Tom Crane and Andy Coulson promised he could have his job back if he did not implicate anyone else on the paper are all missing completely. The News International copy of the letter also redacts more information relating to the editor and discussions during editorial meetings

It also alleged that phone hacking was openlydiscussed in editorial conference until then editor Andy Coulson banned reference to it.

The police asked the publisher to
preserve the integrity of the investigation by removing names, a source
told the Daily Telegraph.

News International has been accused of
attempting to cover-up after giving the Commons Select Committee a
version of the letter which had significant sections blacked out.

Metropolitan Police investigators did
not ask for any other alterations to be made. It was News International
that took the decision to remove whole paragraphs.

Law firm Harbottle & Lewis released a new version of the letter without the key sections redacted.

A source 'close to News International' told the Daily Telegraph: 'Redactions were made after discussions with police.'